Good Morning Hospitality

In this week’s episode of Good Morning Hospitality Hotels Edition with Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk, we unpack the surprising shift toward shoebox-sized luxury suites, Hyatt’s fresh upscale brand launch, and Marriott International's push into the $100-a-night market. On the travel front, the crew covers U.S. airport tech upgrades, Southwest Airlines’ big leap into global skies via Fiji Airways, a...

In this episode of GMH EU, Sarah Nan DuPre and Leo Walton cover Holidu’s recent $46 million funding round and its acquisition of French vacation rental platform Cybevasion, signaling continued consolidation in the European STR market. They also discuss new Phocuswright research showing how mobile bookings are driving a major acceleration in the UK travel market. Lastly, the crew examines the lates...

Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Wil Slickers break down two stories this week: Airbnb’s new “Services” feature is drawing criticism for cutting hosts out of added revenue opportunities, raising questions about fairness and platform priorities. Meanwhile, OTAs like Booking.com, Expedia Group, and Airbnb have ramped up marketing spend to record highs—over $17.8B in 2024 alone. We unpack what...

In this episode of Good Morning Outdoors, we gear up for National Go RVing Day on June 14 and highlight key takeaways from RVs Move America Week. We cover a proposed federal budget that would reduce staffing at the National Park Service by over 5,500 positions, raising concerns about potential impacts on park operations. The Wilds just debuted its Hellbender RV Campground, and Tauck is set to laun...

This week on GMH EU, Sarah and Leo are joined by guest host Paul Stevens to unpack the latest developments across Europe’s hospitality scene. They dive into AirDNA’s April 2025 market review, highlighting shifting demand patterns across major European destinations. The hosts also tackle Booking.com’s abrupt termination of partnerships with influencers and the wider implications for travel content...

On today’s Good Morning Hospitality, we open with a major development out of Miami: Roami, formerly Sextant Stays, is restructuring —but not because they’re shutting down. Brandreth Canaley breaks the story down for us. Then, we explore Vrbo’s growing global integration with Expedia Group. A new update that could significantly impact how inventory is distributed across Expedia’s brands and what th...

On this week’s Good Morning Outdoors, Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett cover the latest headlines shaping the outdoor travel space. A major public lands sell-off proposal has been removed from the House budget bill—a big win for access advocates. Meanwhile, a Florida KOA campground is shutting down after being acquired for a state infrastructure project. Hipcamp is ramping up its nationwide expans...

In this week’s episode of Good Morning Hospitality with Sarah Dandashy and Steve Turk, the crew dives into Marriott’s unveiling of its new Series by Marriott soft brand and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’s fresh take on loyalty rewards, now redeemable for concerts, sports, and even Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar’s perks. We also discuss the proposed “tax-free tips” bill that could reshape hiring in...

In this week’s GMH EU, the crew dives into Spain’s summer tourism tension as the government cracks down on over 9,000 illegal short-term rentals in Catalonia and considers a steep VAT hike on STRs to combat housing shortages. Meanwhile, anti-tourism protests heat up across hotspots like the Canary Islands, and new travel rules now require non-EU visitors to show proof of insurance. On the tech fro...

This week on GMO, the crew looks ahead to Memorial Day adventures—Alex Burkett is planning a trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, while Matt Whitermore recently visited Ferncrest Promised Land for a franchise discovery day (shoutout to Ferncrest and Brian Linton!). The team explores how wellness tourism continues to shape RV travel, with more parks offering yoga, meditation, and guided nature wa...

This week on GMH EU, special guest host Boris Pavlov, Co-Founder of Flataway, joins Sarah Nan DuPre and Leo Walton to unpack Airbnb’s Summer Release—from in-stay services and revamped experiences to its push toward becoming a full-fledged lifestyle app. Plus, we dive into Expedia Group’s clever new AI feature that turns Instagram travel reels into bookable trips. A must-listen episode blending ind...

Fresh off his exclusive interview with Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz, Jamie Lane joins Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, and Brandreth Canaley to unpack Airbnb’s pivot toward services, experiences, and a more social platform future. We dive into what this means for hosts and operators—and how Expedia Group’s latest moves in AI, advertising, and B2B at Explore 2025 signal a broader battle for the future of tr...

In this special bonus episode, Leo Walton is joined by Dale Smith, Founder and CEO of Host & Stay, for an in-depth conversation on the current state of the UK short-term rental market. They discuss shifting guest expectations, ADR trends, property manager challenges, and why 2025 may be a year of consolidation and recalibration for many operators. Dale shares insights on portfolio performance acro...

This week on Good Morning Outdoors, we cover big Memorial Day travel numbers, with AAA projecting over 45 million Americans hitting the road. We highlight bipartisan momentum in Washington as the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable applauds the launch of the House Public Lands Caucus. In RV news, Hermiston celebrates a new park gifted by Amazon, Showalter RV announces an upscale Indiana resort, and SSI...

Join Jamie Lane, Chief Economist of AirDNA, and Ellie Mertz, CFO of Airbnb, as they discuss the latest announcements from the Airbnb 2025 Summer Release. This episode introduces new Airbnb services and experiences, a redesigned app, and future growth opportunities for hosts. Learn how Airbnb aims to increase travel wallet share and enhance user engagement through improved affordability, quality, a...

This week on GMH EU, Sarah Nan DuPre and Leo Walton break down the latest travel trend of “destination dupes,” as UK travelers look beyond the Mediterranean to lesser-known European gems like Albania and Montenegro. They analyze the implications of this shift for short-term rental operators, particularly in emerging markets with less tourism infrastructure. Sarah and Leo also unpack Airbnb’s Q1 ea...

In this episode of Good Morning Hospitality, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, and Brandreth Canaley are joined by Phocuswright’s Madeline List to unpack the newly released “U.S. Short-Term Rentals 2025: Guest Attitudes and Decision Making” report. We explore the shifting expectations of today’s travelers, especially the under-35 segment that’s showing growing skepticism toward the STR category. Madel...

On this episode of Good Morning Outdoors, Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett return with updates from the road, including Matt’s real estate gala trip and a recap of the Covered Bridge Campsite BBQ and beer event. We dive into the proposed $1.25 billion cut to the National Park Service and the outdoor industry’s response, including support for the newly introduced America the Beautiful Act. Plus, we...

This week on GMH Hotels, Sarah Dandashy, Steve Turk, and guest host Alexi Huntley Khajavi dive into the top stories shaping hospitality. They discuss Marriott Hotels’s acquisition of citizenM hotels and the recent wave of hotel layoffs in Las Vegas, highlighting how automation and shifting service models are redefining the workforce. Hyatt’s CEO signals softening booking trends, while in travel, S...

In this special GMH EU x STR mashup, Leo Walton and Wil Slickers team up live from Denver during the STR Hospitality Summit to tackle some of the most pressing cross-Atlantic hospitality topics. From Airbnb’s evolving stance on quality and guest expectations to Expedia Group’s layoffs and the growing impact of AI on operational efficiency, the duo dives into how booking patterns, guest behavior, a...

In this episode of Good Morning Hospitality, Wil Slickers, Brandreth Canaley, Michael Goldin, and Jamie Lane break down Airbnb’s Q1 2025 results, highlighting slowing growth in the U.S. and a surge in international markets. The team covers the shift in nights and experiences booked, record-high ADRs, and what CEO Brian Chesky means when he says Airbnb is nearing the "end of the beginning." We also...

In this special episode of Good Morning Hospitality, we are joined by Steve Schwab, the founder and CEO of Casago, to discuss Casago's monumental $128 million acquisition of Vacasa, a previously publicly traded property management company. Steve shares insights into how this bold move will reshape vacation rental management by transitioning Vacasa to a franchise model. He dives into his journey fr...

On this episode of Good Morning Outdoors, Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett are joined by special guest-hosts Tori and Seth Bolt of Bolt Farm Treehouse, who share exciting news about bringing America’s first floating mirror cabin to life. The Bolts give us a behind-the-scenes look at what inspired the concept, what guests can expect, and how it aligns with their mission to create once-in-a-lifetime...

This week, Sarah Nan DuPre and Leo Walton cover major shifts happening across the short-term rental industry. HomeToGo launches a creative marketing initiative, offering guests the chance to stay pitch-side at FC Union Berlin’s stadium. Meanwhile, Airbnb introduces controversial new policies around off-platform communication, security deposits, and transparency in fees, sparking significant host b...

On this episode of Good Morning Outdoors, Matt Whitermore and Alex Burkett are back to cover the latest shifts shaping outdoor hospitality and travel. We kick things off with a look at the current state of the outdoor retail market and what growth or stability could look like in 2025, as reported by the Outdoor Industry Association. From shifting consumer behavior to strategic bets on product and...